Selective control mechanism for radio receiving sets



Aug. '18, 1936. m. DWYER 0 1,438

SELECTIVE CONTROL MECHANISM FOR RADIO RECEIVING SETS Filed March 13/1953 2 Sheets-Shea}; 1 v

. INVENTOR 176.2. RI Iva: Jpn r51? BY A ATTO R N EY Aug; 18, 1936. r F.J. DWYER 2,051,438

SELECTIVE CONTROL MECHANISM FOR RADIO RECEIVING SETS Fi led March 15,1935 2 sheets -sheet 2 INVENTO R fimvc/s Mun-w Patented Aug. 1936 UNITEDSTATE res ns SELECTIVE CONTROL IMECHANISM FOE RADIO RECEIVING SETSFrancis 'J. Dwyer, Rochester, N. Y.

Application March 13, 1933, Serial No. iifilhd'ld This invention relatesto selective control mechanism for radio sets and has for its object toprovide a mechanism whereby the radio set will, at periodical intervals,be automatically tuned to select one or more predetermined programsfrom, any one or any number of broadcasting stations.

A further object of this invention is to provide a very simpleconstruction for this automatic and lo selective control mechanism inorder that it may be manuiactured at a low cost and adapted to any radioreceiving set. 1

With these and other objects in view the invention will become morereadily apparent from the detailed description thereof which follows,

reference being had to the accompanying drawinss in which ,Figure l is adiagrammatic iront elevation of a tuning element oi a radio receivingset with my selective control mechanism applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the tuning element and selective controlmechanism illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic front elevation of a modified form of theselective control mecha-- nism. 1

In the several figures of the drawings like reference numerals indicatelike parts.

The automatically operated selective control mechanism for radioreceiving sets forming the subject matter of my present invention isadapt ed to be set to. tune in consecutive programs broadcast from anynumber of radio broadcasting stations. In this way the programs of any36 number of stations, including consecutive programs of individualstations, may be selected over a period of time and the selectivecontrol set to operate the receiving set and tune in the variousstations at the time the programs are put on the 40 air by them.

For the purpose oi. timing the selective control I use a suitablyoperated clock I and provide this clock with a series of tour contacts2, 3, l and 5 which are spaced-so as to correspond with the 45 fifteen,thirty, forty-five and sixty minute positions oi the minute hand of theclock mechanism. The contact arm 6, driven by the clock mechanism inunison with the minute hand or in place of it, will thereforemomentarily close the elec- 50 trical circuit 1 at the end of eachfliteen minute period. The electrical circuit, when closed, energizesthe solenoid 8 so as to attract and'raise the armature 9. This armatureis pivotally connected to the arm in of the segmental gear ll 66 whichis mounted to swing on the pivot stud l2.

As the armature is raised it abuts against the end of the pin it carriedby the arm l4 and raises it with the sliding rod 05 until the stop pinit, carried by the sliding rod, is brought in engagement with the underside of the bearing 5 block i! and prevents a further movement of thesliding rod. Inthis way both the segmental gear ii and sliding rod itare operated by the armature t and are moved to a predetermined elevatedposition. 310

The segmental gear ii meshes with the pinion p it carried by thecondenser shaft i9 and the tuning condenser it operated by this shaft isset so that the movement of the segmental gear by the armature will movethe condenser to its 5 zero position and hold it in this position untilthe solenoid is tie-energized and releases its armature. This takesplace as soon as the contact arm ii has moved out of contact with one ofthe four contacts of the clock mechanism and has 20 opened the electriccircuit '5 as the result of it. On the release of the armature aspring2| draws down the arm it until this movement is arrested by theengagement of the stop pin 22 with one oi the selector pins 23. The stoppin 32 25 is carried by the arm I0 and projects thru a suitable openingin the panel 26. The selector pins 23 are mounted in a carriage 25 whichis adapted to slide in the guide channel 26. The under side of thecarriage 25 is provided with 3o suitable ratchet teeth 21, 21 and a pawl28, carried on the lower end of the sliding rod !5, is adapted to engagethese ratchet teeth in such a manner that on raising the sliding rod ISthe pawl advances the carriage to the left and moves it step by step ateach operation of the armature to bring consecutive selector pins 23into position as stops for the arm I0 and its seg-. mental gear ll.

The distance the selector pins project from the carriage 25 thusdetermines the length of the movement of the segmental gear ll so thatby varying the length or these pins the segmental gear can be moved toturn the pinion l8 and with it the condenser shaft l9 so as to tune thecondenser to any desired tuning position. Selector pins 23 of diiIerentlengths may thus be placed into the carriage to tune the radio set todifierent stations at fifteen minute intervals and selector pins 23 ofthe same length may be placed into the carriage to tune the radio set tothe same station at each fifteen minute interval. The pins are placedinto the carriage with relation to the period of time during which theset is to be tuned to the various stations. By starting the set, for 66example, at ioziiiloclock end piecing eselector pin into the carriagewhich will tune the set to stetion WEAF with the first pin, the set willbe tuned to receive the program broadcast by this station from :00 tolfizlboclcclr. If the some length of pin is pieced ior the second pin inthe cerriege the set will be tuned again for this some station toreceive the continuation or the next progrem broedcest by this stationduring the rollowing iiiteen minutes or until 10:30

oclock. if e. progreni from another station is desired for the timebetween. llizdli end loz lfi, e. pm oi e. length which will time to thisparticular stetion will be inserted :lor the third pin in the cerriegeand soon until the carriage is filled with pins which will tune the setat the end oi each fiiteen minute internal to the stetlon from which thedesired program is broadcast that pertlcuclock mechanism which. isprovided with four pairs oi contacts 35 nudes which ere spaced sodegrees on the dial. Contacts 3 3 cooperate with the contact arm toclose the circuit ill and energize the solenoid til at the end or eachfifteen minute interval, and contacts 35 cooperate with contact arm doto close circuit and energize solenoid M at the beginnin of h fifte nmin ute interval. The pair 05; contacts are arranged in each position sothat both solenoids will be consecutively energized one after the otherwith solenoid 3E9 slightly before each quarter oi an hour on the clockend solenoid 3i directly after each quarter of an hour or approximatelyso. In this way the tuning condenser will be turned to a. zero position1st the end of each filteen minute interval by the pinion which mesheswith the rack bar 32 but will be turned back to tune'ln the desiredstation immediately after the beginning of the following fifteen minuteperiod.

The selector pins dd which stop the rack bar in its movement to tune theset are carried by the index disc M and are placed into the holes dillwhich are radially end concentrically arranged in this disc. The disc isshifted to present consecutively arranged pins in line with the reelsbar by means of the ratchet wheelGZ which is adepted to turn with thedisc concentric thereto. An. arm 33, which swings concentrically withthe ratchet wheel 42,-.carries a. spring pressed pawl 44 to engage theratchet teeth of the ratchet wheel. The arm or is connected by the linkso with the arm 46 carried by the sliding pin or. The sliding pin inturn is mounted in the bearing Y member to and is moved to the left bythe arms.-

ture at the left hand end or the rack bar 32. The movement of the rackbar to set the tuning condenser to a. zero position thus at the sometime swings the arm 43 to advance the ratchet wheel and with it theindex discto bring the succeeding radially arranged holes in the disc inline with the right hand extension of the rack bar 32. A pin 40 isinserted into one of these holes to stop the rack bar in the desiredposition. After the ratchet wheel has been advanced, a. spring 48Areturns the arm 46 to its normal starting positiou. The movement of thesliding pin all is lim-= ited by the movement of the pin 59 in the slot50 provided in the bearing member 68.

l. in on automatic tuning apparatus for radio receiving sets having 2.tuning element, a. selector slide, selecting members oi varying lengthscar ried by seld selector slide and uniformly spaced thereon,reciprocating means fior intermittently moving said selector slide tomove the selecting members to a, controlling position and said tuningelement to e predetermmed detu ing position in its movement in onedirection operating the tuning element of the radio receiving set to etuning position in its movement in the opposite direction with one ofthe selecting members of sold selector slide controlling this movementor said reciprocating meeus in the letter opposite direction and meansfor intermittently causing a single reciprocation of said reciprocatingmeans.

2. In an automatic tuning apparatus for radio receiving sets having 2,tuning element, a. selector slide, selecting members of varying lengthscarried by said selector slide and uniformly spaced thereon,reciprocating means for intermittently moving said selector slide tosimultaneously move the selecting members to e. controlling position,and said tuning element to predetermined detuning position in itsmovement inone direction; means associated with the reciprocating meansfor limiting the movement or the selector slide to a, fixed position inits-movement in the said one direction and means controlled by thelengths of the selecting members for limiting the movement of thereciprocating means in the opposite direction and the position of saidtuning element.

3. In an automatic control for radio receiving sets having a movabletuning member, the combinetion or reciprocating means for operating saidtuning member, stop means for limiting the movement of said tuningmember to e, uniform fixed detunlng position and operated by saidreclprocatingmeans in its movement in one direction, interchangeablestop means operated by sold reciprocating means jointly with said tuningmember during its first movement in one direction, said interchangeablestop means limiting the return movement of said reciprocating means andmeans controlled by said reciprocating means for positioning theinterchangeable stop means, and means for intermittently causing a-single reciprocation or said reciprocating means.

i. In an automatic control for radio receiving sets having a movabletuning member, the combination of a reciprocating operating member formoving said tuning member, movable means operated by said reciprocatingoperating member in its movement in one direction for limiting themovement of said operating member in the opposite direction with a lostmotion connection provided between the operating member .and the movablestop member so as 'to permits. variable 5. In an automatic control forradio receiving sets having a tuning member, the combinationreciprocating operating member in its forward movement to uniformly andprogressively move said carriage member step by step in advance of thereturn movement of said operating member and to variably limit themovement of said tuning member in one direction in advance of thevariabie return movement limited by said interchangeable step means andmeans for intermit tently causing a singie reciprocation of saidreciprocating operating member.

6. In an automatic controi for radio receiving sets'having anosciliating tuning member, the combination of a movable selector member,a series of stop means interchangeably carried by said selector member,a step by step operating means for progressively advancing said selectormember, a reciprocating operating member for oscillating said tuningmember during each reciprocation thereoiand operating said step by stepoperating means during its forward movement to cause said selectormember to advance one of said interchangeable stop means and oscillatesaid tuning member to a fixed position in one direction and limit thereturn movement of said operating member to a predetermined movement inthe opposite direction and means for intermittently causing a singlereciprocation of said reciprocating operating member.

7. In an automatic control for radio receiving sets having anoscillating tuning member, the combination of a swinging arm foroscillating said tuning member, an armature connected to said arm, asolenoid for moving said armature to swing said arm in one direction andspring means for swinging said arm in the opposite direction, a linkoperated by said armature to move'to a fixed position on the movement ofthe armatvre by said solenoid over a variable distance, a seiectormember operated by said link to move a uniform distance on the variablemovement of said armature, an interchangeable stop means carried by saidselector member to cause a variable return movement of said arm by saidspring means.

FRANCIS J. DWYER.

